Great Theatre--The Beaux' Stratagem

Of all the theatres we have been to thus far, the National does its stage the biggest. For The Beaux’ Stratagem yesterday, there was a three story building erected (the National is also where we saw A Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, with its fantastic scene production). The stage hands worked tirelessly to change back and forth between scenes at the inn where Aimwell and Archer were staying to Lady Bountiful’s house, and each of these locations sported unique and intricate designs. From pictures and chandeliers at the mansion to coarse wooden tables at the inn, the scene design made everyone feel they were really looking at these sites, even though we were in a huge balcony looking down on the stage. This manner of stage production saw its rise after the Restoration, when Charles II supported lavish and forward theatre to compensate the Puritan control after the Civil War.

Although I still hold that The Merchant of Venice was the best theatre experience so far because of the emotional connection I felt, The Beaux Stratagem was the most entertaining. Hilarious sexual innuendos and even some slap-stick fighting, coupled with incredibly gifted actors that made even the way they stood uproariously funny, resulted in a show that kept everyone engaged. The actors brought this refined British theatre audience to the point where they shouted back answers to the actor’s questions, and the whole story came to life in a way that made me want to go hang out with the new couples at their wedding receptions.

Beyond merely the entertaining aspect, however, the set contributed a great deal to the overall effect. If I had to pick one prop that best summed up the play, it would be the four poster bed brought out for the scene in Mrs. Sullen’s bedchamber. The neat part about that prop was that when I studied this scene the week before we came, I said that I thought it would be key to have a bed in this scene, though I wasn’t sure how they would manage the bulkiness or the logistics of it. I was right! It was used a great deal in a physical way, with characters running around it, throwing each other on it, hiding behind it, etc. Furthermore, this piece was vital to the essence of the play—full of playful sexuality but rooted in deeper meanings. On the surface, the bed was magnificent to look at—it was a four-poster bed, with thick fluffy covers. However, the colors were dark, almost a mahogany color. It was huge, and the actors flipped around over it and jumped on it so that the audience could tell it was not just for looks. If I had wanted to, I could take a nap in that bed, and I probably couldn’t push it off stage myself. Likewise, though the bed was a place for fun, playful moments when Archer chases Mrs. Sullen around and tries to seduce her, it is also the site of a robbery. It is in this scene that Archer’s hilarious comment that he was going to rob Mrs. Sullen of “something she could spare” (her sexual favors) that is followed by the aggressive sexuality of the highwayman that tries to get in the bed when he thinks he finds Mrs. Sullen alone. The scene insinuates that a rape is coming, but the old, greasy man called Scrub switches out of the bed with Mrs. Sullen and plants a big kiss on the surprised highwayman when he dives under the covers.

In this way, the bed becomes a symbol of both the lighthearted entertainment of the play, but also the serious nature of it as well. Though we love to laugh at Mrs. Sullen and her husband berating each other for being poor spouses, and Scrub complaining about Gypsy being a “whore” in his deadpan delivery, we are also brought to silence during Mrs. Sullen’s monologues about being confined in an unfulfilling marriage. She has several key speeches where she explains that “a woman must wear chains” by having no rights to leave an unhealthy relationship unless the husband allows her to, and by the robbery scene we watch another issue play out: vulnerability to sexual assault. Thus, the bed becomes a physical character: Sex. This leaves the audience to reflect on all the ways that the play uses sex to manipulate its characters. Throughout the story, Archer uses his charisma and attractiveness to try to seduce women, both for his ploy to get money but also merely to pass the time. By the end, he has learned his lesson and fallen for the headstrong Mrs. Sullen. It is in this scene, when he is interrupted from having his way with Mrs. Sullen (on this bed) that we see his character transform from a selfish, cocky man to one who will fight off a troop of highwayman to defend the household. 

Though the characters clearly advance the plot and make the resolution come around, the bed is in the most significant scene and represents the overall biggest theme of the play. Because sex is used in so many ways: as transformation, power, entertainment, threat, bribery, etc., the bed draws attention to the complexity of human relations. This prop is the centerpiece that then brings back all the complicated story threads to a focus on a key message from Farquhar. Could we talk to him today, I’m sure he would identify as a feminist; his female leads are strong and powerful, with many poignant moments that draw attention to the suffering of women. I would recommend this play to anyone, any day. It is such a fun experience and was well done. Bravo!